Thursday; Ipsius, on Tuesday and Friday; A vinculis, on Wednesday and
Saturday. But the benedictions vary. Thus, when a gospel extract and a
homily are read, the three benedictions are Evangelica, Divinum, Ad
societatem. When with the three lessons, no gospel extract is read, the
benedictions are Benedictione, Unigenitus, Spiritus Sancti. In an office
of a saint or saints, where the total number of lessons to be said is
three (e.g., the Office of SS. Abdon et Sennen, 30 July), where first
two lessons are from Scripture occurring and last lesson gives lives of
these saints, the benedictions are, Ille nos, Cujus (vel Quorum aut
Quarum) festum, Ad societatem.

_Lessons._ In the early days of Christendom, the Divine Office consisted
in the singing of psalms, the reading of portions of Sacred Scripture
and the saying of prayers. The principle of continuous reading of the
books of the Bible bears an early date. Later were added readings from
the acts of the martyrs, and later still, readings from the homilies of
the Fathers. Till the seventh century the ferial Office had no lessons
and the Sunday Office had only three, all taken from the Bible, which
was read in its entirety, yearly. In the seventh century, ferial Offices
received three lessons. About the time of St. Gregory, (died 604) the
Office for Matins was divided into three parts or nocturns, each having
lessons. The lessons for the second and third nocturns were not taken
from the Bible, but from the works of the Fathers. These extracts were
collected in book form--the _homilaria_. The collection of extracts made
by Paul the deacon (730-797) and used by Charles the Great (742-814) in
his kingdom, form the foundation of the collected extracts in our
Breviaries. The scripture lessons in our Breviaries are generally known
as "the scripture occurring," and are so arranged that each book of
scripture is begun at least, except the books, Josue, Judges, Ruth,
Paralipomenon and the Canticle of Canticles. Quignonez arranged in his